The present invention relates to improved processes for the preparation of puffed cereal cakes or other products, such as rice cakes. The invention also relates to improved puffed cereal cakes, and to an apparatus suitable for use in the method of the invention. Rice is the most commonly, but not the only advantageously used cereal. Consequently, when the expression "rice" appears herein, the term is understood to be used in the illustrative rather than the limiting sense.
Rice cakes are commercially available products formed from puffed rice grains that are bonded together without a binding matrix. The rice cakes have low density, and low moisture content, and are typically the size and shape of a cookie or rusk. Similar puffed (also known as expanded) cereal cakes can be made with other cereal grains such as wheat, millet, buckwheat, barley or corn.
Rice cakes are currently made by a process comprising the steps of: (i) providing a mold comprising a plurality of mold elements including a reciprocally movable piston element for compressing rice grains inside the mold; (ii) introducing a predetermined quantity of unpuffed (i.e. plain parboiled or non-parboiled) rice into the mold, the average moisture content of this rice being typically about 16% by weight; (iii) compressing the rice grains in the mold to about 6 MPa (60 bar) pressure; (iv) heating the rice grains in the mold to a temperature of 230-280.degree. C.; (v) moving the piston element to expand the mold by a predetermined amount, whereupon the heated rice grains expand and bond together to form the rice cake, followed by (vi) removing the finished rice cake from the mold.
A first drawback of the above method is that it requires a pressure mold that can provide high pressures and temperatures, together with precisely controlled expansion of the mold in the puffing step. This involves considerable technical complexity. Various alternative mold designs are described, for example, in WO92/08375, WO90/08477, and EP-A-0359740.
A second drawback of the above-described existing methods of forming rice cakes is that the high temperature mold surfaces required to heat the rice quickly to the puffing temperature result in rapid build-up of carbon deposits on the mold. This necessitates frequent down time (typically 5-10 minutes every hour) for mold cleaning.
A further drawback of the above-described method is that each compression, heating, expansion and product removal cycle takes at least 6 seconds, and usually 10-12 seconds. The relatively lengthy heating and expansion cycle needed to produce each rice cake reduces the process throughput and increases the cost of the products.
A further drawback of the above-described existing methods of forming rice cakes is that the edible inclusions that can be incorporated into or onto the rice cakes are very limited. Most edible materials, such as vitamins or chocolate, are degraded by the high temperatures used to form rice cakes. In fact, existing rice cakes generally only contain rice and salt, with flavoring agents optionally applied to the surface of the rice cake after it has been formed. This contributes to the limited consumer acceptance of existing rice cakes.
Finally, the high pressure expansion used to form rice cakes according to the prior art means that only a limited range of rice cake shapes is available. In particular, the top and bottom faces of the rice cakes obtained by this method are substantially parallel and flat, i.e. free from patterns or shapes in relief.
In view of the above and other shortcomings of prior art methods and apparatus, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved process for the preparation of puffed cereal cakes, in particular puffed rice cakes.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a process for the preparation of puffed cereal cakes that is faster than existing methods.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a process for the preparation of puffed cereal cakes that requires less equipment down-time than existing methods.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a process for the preparation of puffed cereal cakes that permits the inclusion of heat-sensitive edible materials into the puffed cereal cakes obtained by the method.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a process for the preparation of puffed cereal cakes having top and/or bottom surfaces that are patterned or shaped in relief.
A further object of the invention is to provide puffed cereal cakes, in particular puffed rice cakes, having incorporated therein heat-sensitive edible substances.
One more object of the present invention is to provide puffed cereal cakes, in particular, puffed rice cakes, having a top and/or a bottom surface that is patterned or shaped in relief.
Finally, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved apparatus for the preparation of a puffed cereal cake, specifically adapted for use in a process according to the present invention or for the production of a rice cake according to the present invention.
In a first aspect, the present invention provides a process for the preparation of a puffed cereal cake comprising the steps of: providing a mold comprising a plurality of mold elements including a reciprocally movable piston element for compressing material inside said mold; introducing a predetermined quantity of unpuffed cereal grains into said mold; compressing the cereal grains in the mold; applying ultrasonic energy to the cereal grains in the mold; moving said piston element to expand the mold by a predetermined amount while applying said ultrasonic energy to the cereal grains to cause expansion and bonding of the cereal grains to form the puffed cereal cake; and removing the puffed cereal cake from the mold.
It has been found that the application of ultrasonic energy to heat the cereal grains during the heating and expansion steps results in a number of technical advantages. First, the time required to heat the cereal grains to their puffing temperature of 210.degree. C.-280.degree. C. is reduced, because the ultrasonic energy heats the cereal grains directly.
A further advantage of the application of ultrasonic energy is that the expansion and bonding of the cereal grains is accelerated. This means that the cycle of compression, heating and expanding the cereal grains can all be completed in less than 5 seconds, and preferably in 2.0 seconds or less. This compares with at least 6-8 seconds needed in the absence of ultrasonic energy.
Yet another advantage of the application of ultrasonic energy is greatly reduced carbonization of the mold. This is partly because of the reduced dwell time of the heated cereal grains in the mold, and partly because the ultrasonic apparatus is self-cleaning. The reduced carbonization of the mold results in reduced down-time and faster throughput.
Yet another advantage of the application of ultrasonic energy is that the ultrasound reduces sticking of the finished cereal cakes to the mold.
The starting material for this process can be brown or milled, parboiled or non-parboiled rice, preferably having a moisture content of 16-28% w/w.
It will be noted that the process according to the first aspect of the present invention retains certain disadvantages of the prior art, including the need for a high pressure expansion step and the need for high temperatures to puff the cereal grains. This means that shaped puffed cereal cakes, and/or puffed cereal cakes having heat-sensitive edible inclusions cannot readily be made by the process according to the first aspect of the present invention. In addition, a high pressure mold is required, as described above for the prior art methods. The mold should be capable of rapid, controlled expansion in order to take advantage of the faster puffing time provided by this aspect of the invention.
Accordingly, in a second aspect, the present invention provides a process for the preparation of a puffed cereal cake, comprising the steps of: providing a mold comprising a plurality of mold elements including a reciprocally movable piston element for compressing material inside the mold; coating prepuffed cereal grains with a binder material; introducing a predetermined quantity of the coated prepuffed cereal grains into the mold; compressing the coated prepuffed cereal grains in the mold; applying ultrasonic energy to the coated prepuffed cereal grains in the mold to bond the grains together to form the puffed cereal cake; followed by removing the puffed cereal cake from the mold.
In this context, the expression "prepuffed cereal grains" means cereal grains, such as rice grains, wheat grains or popcorn grains, that have been puffed by micronizing, gun-puffing, extrusion or other puffing methods conventionally known in the art. Such methods are described, for example, in "Rice Chemistry and Technology", Bienvenido O. Juliano ed., published by the American Association of Cereal Chemists, St. Paul, Minn. (1982).
The present inventors have found, surprisingly, that suitably coated prepuffed cereal grains can be bonded together to form a puffed cereal cake by applying a moderate pressure and applying ultrasonic energy to the compressed prepuffed cereal grains. This simplified process provides a number of advantages, as follows.
A first advantage is that the puffed cereal cakes can be formed at much lower pressures, without a controlled expansion step as in the prior art methods. It is merely necessary to compress the prepuffed cereal grains at preferably 0.1-2.0 MPa (1-20 bar) before applying the ultrasonic energy. Thus, the cost and complexity of the cereal cake mold is greatly reduced.
A second advantage of this aspect of the invention is that little or no heating of the prepuffed cereal grains is required to achieve bonding. Preferably, the average temperature of the prepuffed cereal grains does not exceed 100.degree. C. during the process according to this aspect of the invention, and more preferably the average temperature of the prepuffed cereal grains does not exceed 70.degree. C. Preferably, all of the heating is due to absorption of the ultrasonic energy.
The relatively low temperature at which the process according to this aspect of the invention is carried out permits the introduction of heat-sensitive food inclusions into the puffed cereal cake simply by introducing a heat sensitive food product into the mold at the same time as the prepuffed cereal grains. Preferred heat-sensitive food products include vitamins, chocolate, fruits, candied fruits, dried fruits, nuts, sugars, edible gums, edible fats, caramel, flavorings in dry or liquid form, and colorants.
The relatively low temperature at which the cereal cake formation takes place also eliminates the problem of carbon deposition in the mold, thereby reducing down time and increasing throughput of the process.
A third advantage of the process according to the this aspect of the invention is that formation of the puffed cereal cake is extremely fast. Preferably, the step of bonding the prepuffed cereal grains together by means of the ultrasonic energy is completed in 2 seconds or less, more preferably 1 second or less, and most preferably 0.5 second or less. This greatly increases the throughput of the process.
A fourth advantage of the process according to the this aspect of the invention is that, because there is no expansion step, it is possible to use a shaped mold with non-parallel, non-planar top and bottom mold elements. This permits the formation of a shaped cereal cake product having a non-planar top or bottom surface. Preferably, the non-planar top or bottom mold element is patterned or shaped in relief, and the minimum feature width of the pattern or shape is less than 15 mm, more preferably less than 10 mm. It would be very difficult to use such a patterned or shaped mold element in puffed cereal cake manufacture by the high temperature, high pressure expansion method. Preferably, the depth of the pattern or shape in relief is at least 25%, and preferably at least 50% of the maximum depth of the mold cavity.
It will readily be appreciated that the process according to this aspect of the invention can be used to make a wide variety of shaped, puffed cereal cake products for different market niches. For example, puffed cereal cakes shaped like animals (e.g. turtle, elephant) would be appealing to children. Puffed cereal cakes in the shape of a bone would be a suitable snack food for dogs. Puffed cereal cakes in the shape of a mouse could be a suitable snack food for cats.
The binding of the puffed cereal grains to form the puffed cereal cake in the process according to the this aspect of the invention is assisted by the additional step of applying a coating of a suitable binder material to the prepuffed cereal grains prior to compression. The coating may, for example, comprise a cereal flour, a sugar or an edible gum. Suitable cereal flours include rice flour, wheat flour and corn flour. Suitable sugars include dextrans, maltodextrins, syrups of glucose, fructose, maltose, sucrose or mixtures thereof, and caramels. Suitable edible gums include xantham gum, guar gum, carrageenan, locust beam gum and mixtures thereof. Other coatings may comprise starches, modified starches, or gelatins.
Preferably, the binder comprises an aqueous liquid. More preferably, the coating comprises at least 80% w/w of water, most preferably at least 95% of water. The aqueous liquid coating may contain dissolved vitamins, colorants or flavoring agents. Preferably, the aqueous liquid is sprayed onto the puffed cereal grains shortly before the compression step, preferably no more than 60 seconds before the compression step, and most preferably no more than 20 seconds before the compression step. It is thought that water assists the binding of the prepuffed cereal grains by softening and partially dissolving components at the surface of the grains, including local reactivation of the starch. In addition, water is a good susceptor for ultrasound and will tend to localize ultrasonic heating at the surfaces of the puffed grains, where bonding takes place.
Preferably, the binder coating is applied to the prepuffed cereal grains in an amount of from 0.1 to 100% by weight, more preferably 5 to 50% by weight, and most preferably 10 to 30% by weight based on the dry weight of the prepuffed cereal grains. The binder coating may also be applied to the edible inclusions, where these are added to the cereal grains. Preferably, the binder does not make up more than 10% by volume, more preferably not more than 2% by volume, and most preferably not more than 1% by volume of the puffed cereal.
It will be appreciated from the foregoing discussion that the preferred cereal grains for the processes according to either aspect of the present invention comprise rice grains. More preferably the cereal grains consist essentially of rice grains. However, the processes according to the present invention are also applicable to other puffable cereal grains, such as wheat, millet, buckwheat, barley or corn, such as popcorn, or mixtures thereof.
Preferably, the ultrasonic energy in the processes according to the present invention is applied at a frequency of from 10 kHz to 40 kHz. Preferably, the energy is applied by an ultrasonic actuator such as a piezoelectric actuator to one or more of the mold elements, and the surface of the mold element driven by the actuator moves through an amplitude of from 10 to 50 .mu.m.
The molding step may be followed by a drying step to dry the cereal cake preferably at 50-100.degree. C. to a moisture content of less than about 5% by weight, preferably to about 2-3% by weight.
In a third aspect, the present invention provides a puffed cereal cake having a non-planar top or bottom surface.
Preferably, the non-planar top or bottom surface is patterned or shaped in relief, and the minimum feature width of the pattern or shape is less than 15 mm, more preferably less than 10 mm. The depth of the pattern or shape in relief is preferably at least 25%, and more preferably at least 50% of the maximum thickness of the puffed cereal cake.
The puffed cereal cakes may be made in a range of consumer acceptable shapes and configurations, as discussed above.
In a fourth aspect, the present invention provides a puffed cereal cake having a heat-sensitive food product, flavoring or colorant incorporated therein. Preferably, the heat-sensitive food product is selected from the group consisting of vitamins, chocolate, candied fruits, dried fruits, nuts, sugars, edible gums, edible fats, caramel, liquid and solid flavorings, and colorants.
The puffed cereal cake according to the fourth aspect of this invention may, of course, also be patterned or shaped in accordance with the third aspect recited above.
It will appreciated that the puffed cereal cake according to the third or fourth aspects of the present invention may itself be enrobed in an edible coating such as chocolate or otherwise incorporated into a compound edible structure.
In a fifth aspect, the present invention provides an apparatus for the manufacture of a puffed cereal cake, the apparatus comprising: a mold comprising a plurality of mold elements, including a reciprocally movable piston element for compressing cereal grains inside the mold; and an ultrasonic oscillator coupled to at least one of said mold elements to apply ultrasonic energy to the compressed cereal grains in the mold.
Preferably, the apparatus further comprises means for applying a coating of a binder to prepuffed cereal grains prior to introduction of the prepuffed cereal grains into the mold. More preferably, there are means adapted to apply a coating of an aqueous solution or suspension to the prepuffed cereal grains immediately before the grains are introduced into the mold.
Preferably, at least one of the mold elements is patterned or shaped in relief, and the minimum feature width of the pattern or shape is 50 mm or less, more preferably 10 mm or less.
Preferably, the apparatus further comprises means for introducing batches of puffed or unpuffed cereal grains of predetermined size into the mold for compression and molding of puffed cereal cakes.
Preferably, the apparatus further comprises additional heating means, such as electrical resistive heating means, for heating the cereal in the mold.
Specific embodiments of the present invention will now be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings.